More than six years ago the Berkeley councilmember suggested that Berkeley ban the use of plastic grocery bags.

At the time, the idea was new and Worthington liked the notion of Berkeley leading the nation by passing an environmentally friendly law.

Since then, more than 100 cities, counties and countries have banned the use of plastic grocery bags. In 2007, San Francisco was the first city in the country to pass legislation outlawing the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and pharmacy chains.

Berkeley has done nothing.

“It’s an important environmental policy,” said Worthington. “To me, it’s sort of embarrassing that it was proposed in Berkeley before anywhere else. Now all these other places have policies. It’s time we get a policy.”

Berkeley’s inaction on banning plastic bags is not for lack of trying. It even has a model ordinance drawn up, written way back in 2009.